Entries by TodaysDentistry

I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. – Michael Jordan Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball […]

There are a lot of dentists placing dental implants these days, and there are several different methods of placing them. I’d like to share the basics of these methods and hopefully enable those of you who are considering dental implants to better understand what is involved in the their placement. Next month, I’ll share some […]

Well, now that we have all made our resolutions for 2018 and are hard at work on them, I’d like to share at little about Pattern Education India. Lisa, who used to work as a dental hygienist at our office, decided to leave and go to India in 2016. As some of you may remember, […]

A successfully kept New Year’s Resolution is elusive. I have read that while approximately 41% of Americans usually make resolutions, only about 9% of Americans feel they successfully complete their goal. I’m certain that these statistics vary widely based upon the sample group and other factors. That aside, what is it that motivates us toward […]

It’s December. And, whether you like it or not, that means you’re going to hear a lot of Christmas music, see a lot of commercialism, and receive a card or two in the mail. Capitalism has shifted much of the focus of Christmas away from Christ and toward buying gifts and throwing parties and entertaining […]

According to the National Association of Dental Plans, approximately 77% of Americans had dental benefits in 2016. Most of these individuals obtain dental benefits through their employment while some receive benefits through groups such as AARP or as part of a medical plan. Those with dental benefits are more likely to go to the dentist, […]

It has been said that teaching is the noblest of all professions. Certainly we can all think of teachers in our past that inspired us, who helped us become who we are, and who made the world a better place. One of the great challenges to education in our time is funding. There are so […]

We humans love seeing weird stuff. This is one of the reasons social media is such a successful phenomenon. The ability to share a crazy video with friends that then goes viral and is viewed by 5,000,000 people over the next couple of days is truly astounding. Some of what we look at is fun […]

Each August for the past 9 years that I have lived in the Rogue Valley, my mind has turned to the pear harvest. Why would I think about the pear harvest? It is one of the highlights of my year. An opportunity that I have to serve people I will never meet. In Medford, The […]

Years ago I used to climb mountains. A friend and I had planned to climb Denali by the original ascent route. In preparation for this, I obtained a copy of accident reports so that I could study what others had had trouble with. There are a lot of things that can happen while climbing a […]

I am grateful for the incredible amount of trust that people grant me. To allow someone to enter your mouth, cut/carve/whittle/whatever you want to call it on your teeth, bone, and/or gum tissues is a scary/anxiety-producing/nerve-racking/unpleasant experience. And I appreciate, I am certain not fully, the trust/confidence/hope/faith that people exercise in me as I work […]

As many of you know, last year Today’s Dentistry participated in a Charity of the Month. Each month we provided a donation to a randomly-drawn organization in the community. Over the course of twelve months, we were privileged to contribute to a variety of worthy causes that are actively striving to improve the world around […]

Dr. Carl E. Misch (1947 – 2017). Very few of you will recognize this name. However, in the world of dental implantology, Dr. Misch was likely the most well-known and respected clinician. He began his career in dentistry, graduating from the University of Detroit, magna cum laude, in 1973. As a dental student, he developed […]

“According to epidemiological studies, it is estimated that 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth and about 40 million Americans are missing all of their teeth. As we age, the problem gets worse as 30 percent of adults between 65-74 years old have no natural teeth.” American College of Prosthodontists The following three […]

Some will remember that in November of last year, I wrote about the Cascadia Subduction Zone and the Prepare Out Loud campaign that the American Red Cross is promoting to help Oregonians prepare. Preparedness for such events is important. And preparedness for smaller, less sensational events is also essential. For example, a closed road for […]

Wikipedia defines Christmas as “Christ’s Mass”, “an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ . . . a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.” Many would agree that Christmas has become somewhat less of a religious celebration and something more of a cultural celebration. Retailers certainly look forward to […]

It has been said that teaching is the noblest of all professions. Certainly we can all think of teachers in our past that inspired us, who helped us become who we are, and who made the world a better place. One of the great challenges to education in our time is funding. There are so […]

I am grateful for the incredible amount of trust that people grant me. To allow someone to enter your mouth, cut/carve/whittle/whatever you want to call it on your teeth, bone, and/or gum tissues is a scary/anxiety-producing/nerve-racking/unpleasant experience. And I appreciate, I am certain not fully, the trust/confidence/hope/faith that people exercise in me as I work […]

There is a constant stream of mail that passes across my desk. How to attract new patients, the latest porcelain materials, fancy new equipment to buy, courses on this or that – the list just goes on. One of my favorites is the “America’s Best Dentist” ad. For only $39.95, or whatever they charge, I […]

Many recent events have caused me to consider anew one of the most universal axioms known to humankind. It is found in multiple religions and philosophies regardless of whether or not they believe in a Higher Power, in the Big Bang, or in Nothing At All. It is the idea of treating one another with […]

For the last four months we have shared clinical information. We’re going to switch it up this month and talk about something we all experience on a daily basis – things that go wrong. I was driving north on I-5 several weeks ago, enjoying the ride when, “CRACK!!!” A large rock chip with the accompanying […]

So far this year we’ve seen photo essays for single and multiple tooth replacements with dental implants and how cavities are repaired with fillings. This month we’re going to focus on something that is common to many of us – gum recession. Gum tissue recedes for a variety of reasons. The main causes are periodontal […]

We hope you have been enjoying the photo essays we have been producing. Our goal is to help educate you regarding “today’s” dentistry. We don’t focus on the outdated dentistry of yesterday, or the unproven, experimental dentistry of tomorrow. We focus on contemporary, evidence-based dentistry that has been proven to provide great, long-lasting solutions for […]

Last month I presented a photo essay of a complex replacement of missing upper front teeth using dental implants with crowns and bridges. The number of people needing that type of work is relatively small. However, almost everyone has had a cavity and needed a filling to repair that cavity. So I decided to show […]

Many people ask what can be done with implant dentistry. While dental implants are not a magic bullet, a carefully planned and executed treatment can have significant results that benefit the recipient. Please enjoy the following photo essay. If you found it useful, please visit our Today’s Dentistry Facebook page and like us. That will […]

It’s December. And, whether you like it or not, that means you’re going to hear a lot of Christmas music, see a lot of commercialism, and receive a card or two in the mail. Capitalism has shifted much of the focus of Christmas away from Christ and toward buying gifts and throwing parties and entertaining […]

Many years ago I sat in the waiting area of an automobile service business. It was 1999 and our relatively new 1997 Honda Civic was due for some service. I had just begun my second year of dental school. My wife, a registered nurse, worked nights at the university hospital and I worked evenings and […]

It has been said that teaching is the noblest of all professions. Certainly we can all think of teachers in our past who inspired us, helped us become who we are, and made the world a better place. One of the great challenges to education in our time is funding. There are so many demands […]

Each August for the past 7 years that I have lived in the Rogue Valley, my mind has turned to the pear harvest. What is pear harvest you may ask? It is one of the highlights of my year. An opportunity that I have to spend at least 12 hours helping people I will never […]

There are some who say that change is the only thing that remains the same. Change is simply a fact of mortality. In fact, it is inherent in our mortal experience. We are conceived. A fertilized egg, over time, develops into a fragile fetus, receiving nourishment from its mother. A fetus is born, becoming a […]

Like all of you, I receive a lot of mail each day. Last week one of these mail pieces caught my eye. It was from some dental organization that I had never heard of. Upon opening the letter and reading the contents, I discovered that I am a leading dentist, one of the best in […]

It has been said that trust takes a lifetime to build, and a second to lose. Some time ago I was working with a patient. She had an existing crown with a cavity that had penetrated into the tooth underneath it, making it necessary to remove the crown, clean out the cavity, and make a […]

YMCA Healthy Kids Day & Flossing Around the World by Dr. Ed Warr, DDS It’s spring again and that means Healthy Kids Day at the YMCA. We are so grateful for the opportunity we have each year to participate in that event. When we consider the healthy habits that we have, it is always […]

Accountability – Webster’s defines it as “the quality or state of being accountable; an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions.” Sometimes accountability feels good. An example could be recognition for some service work performed on behalf of someone in need; or being recognized for efforts to improve the livability […]

Last month my article focused on some of the basic disease processes involved in the formation of cavities and the development of periodontal disease. This month I would like to share a case history or two that illustrate these processes and how quickly the oral environment can change from health to disease. We’ll call our […]

I am recycling – recycling my articles; the important ones. We have often heard the phrase, “Practice makes perfect,” and we understand that practice is simply the repetition of something over and over. This process moves us from unconscious incompetence – we don’t know what we don’t know – to unconscious competence, the capacity to […]

I remember, as a boy, hearing my social studies and history teachers recite the oft-repeated sentiment that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. And while I would not classify myself as a student of history, I do enjoy looking back at times and learning how history has affected our contemporary life. One […]

It has been said that teaching is the noblest of all professions. Certainly we can all think of teachers in our past that inspired us, who helped us become who we are, and who made the world a better place. One of the great challenges to education in our time is funding. There are so […]

Several months ago this column presented some of the challenges inherent in the current dental insurance system. Recent changes to the healthcare system and, subsequently, to the dental care system have presented a wide range of new insurance products, both for medicine and dentistry. We find that many are purchasing dental insurance only to find […]